1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed slip issuing apparatus having a function of cutting off a printed slip, such as a label or a receipt, from a form web and to issue the printed slip.
2. Description of the Related Art
A label printer, as an example of a known printed slip issuing apparatus, will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. A print head 2 is pressed resiliently against a platen roller 1, and a form web 5 formed by laminating a label 3 and a base web 4 is held between the platen roller 1 and the print head 2. A separating plate 6 for separating the label 3 from the base web 4 by sharply bending the label 3 is disposed below a printing unit including the print head 2. A cutting blade 7 is fastened to the front surface of the print head 2 with a fixed gap between the saw-toothed cutting edge thereof and the separating plate 6. The cutting blade 7 extends along the width of the base web 4 and projects obliquely downward from the front surface of the print head 2.
The print head 2 prints on the base web 4 as the form web 5 is advanced. The separating plate 6 bends the label 3 sharply to separate the same from the base web 4. The printed portion of a specified length of the base web 4 is cut off from the label 3 by the cutting blade 7 to obtain a label or a printed slip.
When cutting the printed portion of the base web 4 off the base web 4 with the cutting blade 7, the base web 4 is not held firmly and is cut by pressing the same against the cutting blade 7, because the cutting edge of the cutting blade 7 is apart from the separating plate 6. Therefore, the base web 4 is not necessarily cut satisfactorily. Since the printed portion of the base web 4 is cut with the base web 4 in an unstable state, it is difficult to cut the base web 4 well along a desired cutting line.